FULL STORY: Romsey author given jail time after stalking woman again

FULL STORY: Romsey author given jail time after stalking woman again

A ROMSEY author who admitted stalking a woman just four months after being given a restraining order against her, has been sent to prison.

Graham Steed, 69, first met the victim when she approached him to tutor her daughter, who was preparing for her GCSEs back in 2015.

But when Mr Steed became "obsessed" with the victim, he embarked on a two-year campaign of stalking against her, commando crawling and even trying to install covert cameras.

In February, he was given a suspended sentence, but Winchester Crown Court heard on Friday that just four months later, he arranged for a former pupil, whom he hadn't seen for six years, to visit his victim's address and take photos, before reporting back.

Prosecuting, barrister Janice Brennan told the court that the former pupil, named only as 'Joe', was asked through Facebook to go to the victim's house and take the photos, mainly of cars "to see if anyone was committing adultery". When he became suspicious, he quizzed Mr Steed on why he was doing this, even saying "it sounds like you have a bit of a thing for this woman".

Joe had not previously heard from Mr Steed for six years before being asked to carry out the act.

After becoming more and more suspicious, Joe began recording his conversations with Mr Steed, and went to the police.

Defending, solicitor Chloe Jay said: "He admits asking Joe to do this, but denied it constitutes stalking. He wants to get to the bottom of what happened as much as anyone. It's fair to say that his interest must have still been there. He is again bewildered as to how he put himself in that position.

"He very much wants to understand why he has done this."

Mr Steed was also formerly ordered to carry out a number of rehabilitation days, which his solicitor said had not been possible due to the services not being available to him. He had also been ordered to leave Hampshire, and the court heard how for two weeks, he had even been living in a tent.

Sentencing Mr Steed, Judge Jane Miller QC said: "When I sentenced you back in February, I gave you a chance in what I would call a compassionate sentence. I warned you that if you committed a further offence, your suspended sentence would be activated.

"You reoffended only four months after. Using someone else was deeply underhanded. The only sentence I can impose is one of immediate custody."

Mr Steed was given a two-months prison term for his June offence, and six months of his previous suspended sentence was activated. He will serve half of his overall term behind bars before being released on licence.

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